Lady&#39;s handbag and method of making the same



Feb. 27, 1940. J. KAPLAN LADYS HANDBAG AND METHOD OF MAKING .THE SAME Filed March 6, 1959 Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES LADYS HANDBAG AND METHOD OF MAK- ING THE SAME Jacob Kaplam, New York, N. Y. Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 260,039

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ladies handbags and methods of making the same. v

One object of the invention is to provide a lady's handbag having a bag body of limp mate- 5 rial and improved flexible stuffed tubular stifiening elements extending vcontinuously along the ends of the bag body and serving to impart a desired shape and form to the bag body.

Another object of the invention is to provide 10 such a construction so improved that the cost of manufacture thereof is greatly reduced and a structure 'of'superior strength produced.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method for making a handbag as 5 described, and which lends itself particularly to accurate manufacture on a quantity production basis.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specificationpro- 20 ceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a device embodying the invention. 7 s

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. 35 h Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank produced according to my method. I

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. I

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are plan views of the blank according to' successive steps of the method.

Fig. 8 is a planview of a modified blank.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a 45 bag showing a modified form of constructing the invention. I

The advantages of the invention as here out-'- lined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and so the same structure,- but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different con- 55 structions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l denotes a ladys handbag embodying the invention. The same may include a bag body H adapted to be opened at the top thereof, as by means of the usual U-shaped frame members l2 which are hingedly connected together at l3. To these frame members the bag body H is connected in any suitable manner, for opening and closing action, and with the frame members having any desired releasable look (not shown).

The bag body II is in general constructed of any feasible highly pliable or limp material, such as a relatively thin, cloth or the like. It comprises a one piece side wall structure which includes the side walls [4, the bottom wall l5 constructed as a fold, and the end extensions it which extend laterally. of the side walls M. These end extensions I6 form continuous strips along the opposite ends of the side wall structure, being formed along the'side walls, and along the bottom wall as at H. The meeting edges of these extensions 16 are suitably interconnected. as along seam lines [8 lying in the central longitudinal 5 plane'of the bag body.

A desired contour of the bag body is to form it with its ends downwardly diverging as shown.. This is not only a decorative shape, but increases the capacity of the bag body and tends to con ceal the frame portions at the hinges l3. But without suitable reenforcement the bag body could not maintain this divergent shape, and yet it is desirable to maintain the flexibility and softness of the bag body as a style factor. Accord- 5 ingly I provide the'stuffed tubular elements: 20 which will now be described.

These tubular elements or beads 20 are fairly tightly stuffed with cotton 2| or other suitable material and. may be formed integral throughout 40 with the bag body, being defined by the lines of stitching at 22. They extend continuously between the side and bottom walls on the one hand and the extensions at I6, I! on the other. They may be of relatively uniform width throughout, except that they taper at 23 at their ends where the bag body is connected into the frame members l2. Hence, while flexible, they afford the necessary stiffening for the bag body while permitting the limpness of the latter to be otherwise maintained. The structure describedalso causes the bag body to flare downwardly, as by causing the side walls l4 to diverge, by reason of the bottom curve of the elements 20. This curve of the elements 20 may be maintained large as by reason of the support afforded thereto by the extensions [6. For instance, the latter are quite narrow as shown at IT to thus raise the curved portions of the elements 2% to increase the curvature thereof.

The structure of the handbag will be further understood by reference to the method of making the same, which will now be described. As shown in Fig. 3, a blank 24 is formed having opposite convex end edges 25. The reason for this convexity is that as these edges are connected to the frame members l2, the bag body is flared out. More specifically, the curved edges 25 are of greater length than the top portions of the frame members and hence are gathered in course of being connected thereto. The corners of the blank are cut away angularly as shown, to form edges 26 which are connected into the depending end arms of the frame members l2. Extending in parallel spaced relation to the side edges Zl' are formed the stuffed tubular elements 20 by means of the stitching at 22.

Now the blank 24 is folded at the center at 28 as shown in Fig. 5, with the tubular elements 20 on the inside, and lines of stitching 29 are formed to interconnect the sections it. Then the lower corners are cut away to form the angular edges 30 which extend into close proximity to the tubular elements, to leave only a small amount of material as at I! in Fig. 1. Then the ends are flattened, bringing the edges 30a, 30b together and interconnecting the latter by stitching 3i transversely applied to form the seam 300 as shown in Fig. 1. Finally, the blank is turned inside out to complete the bag body, and may then be connected to the frame members I2.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is shown a modification of the invention, comprising a blank 32, like the blank 24, except that the stuffed tubular elements at 33, corresponding to those at 20, are formed of separate strips, folded into tubular form, with the edges of each strip connected to the blank 32 as at 34. As the stufiing may terminate short of the ends of the elements 33, as at 35, the elements 33 may be of uniform width throughout. Now the method proceeds as hereinbefore described and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This method shown in Fig. 8 possesses certain advantages in the saving of labor and material.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a ladys handbag and method of making the same which fulfill the objects of the invention, and are well adapted for practical use and for quantity production manufacture.

In Fig. 10 is shown a method of finishing the corners of the bag body, which is preferable to that of Fig. 6. In other words, a line of cross stitching at 36 is formed, and the corner portion 31 is then cut off along the line 38. This method is advantageous because it is easier to practise, as the operator has ample material to take a hold of to pinch in an upright direction between his fingers. While holding the corner portion 3'! in this manner, he can then form the stitching 36 along a curved line closely adjacent to the tubular element 20. It will be understood that in pinching the material prior to sewing at 36,

. the material is to be held evenly with respect to the seam as a center line to produce a uniform balanced corner structure.

I claim:

1. A ladys handbag comprising a bag body open at the top and having a one piece pliable bottom and side Wall structure, the latter comprising side walls and integral lateral extensions extending continuously along the ends of the bottom and side wall structure and forming gus- I sets and being interconnected along the longitudinal central plane of the bag body, and reenforcing stuffed tubular elements at each end of the bag body, ea'ch extending continuously around the bottom and along the ends of the side walls between the latter and the said extensions, and said elements being continuously united to the bag body so as to appear as a part tions of the tubular elements to have a relatively large curvature.

2. The herein described method of making a bag body having stuffed'tubular elements ,extending continuously along the sides and bottom of the bag body between the sides and the end gussets, including cutting a blank of pliable material to form opposite ends, cutting away the corners of the blank, forming stuffed tubular elements parallel to but spaced from the sides of the blank, folding the blank to bring its ends together with the tubular elements lying within the blank, stitching together the side edges of the blank, cutting away the corners of the blank at the fold line, beyond the tubular elements, stitching together the edges at the last mentioned tending continuously along the sides and bottom of the bag body between the-sides and the end gussets, including cutting a'blank of pliable material to form opposite ends, forming stuffed cuts, and finally turning the blank insideout to tubular elements parallel to but spaced from the sides of the blank, folding the blankto bring its ends together with the tubularelements lying within the blank, stitching together the side,

edges of the blank, forming a transverse line of stitching immediately adjacent .to the portion of each element at the bottom of the bag body and turning the blank inside out.

4. A ladys handbag comprising a bag body open at the top and having a one piece pliable bottom and side wall structure, the latter comprising side walls'and integral lateral extensions I extending continuously along the ends of the bottom and side wall structure and forming gussets and being interconnected along the longitudinal central plane ofthe bag body, and reenforcing stufied tubular, elements at each end of the bag body, each extending continuously around the bottom between the latter and the said extensions,,and said elements being continuously united to the bag body so as to appear as a part thereof and to shape otherwise highly pliable parts of the bag body, said extensions being cut away at the bottom of the bag body and being interconnected at the cut away edges with the lines of interconnection being directly along a side of each of the tubular elements at the bottom of the bag body to cause the bottom portions of the tubular elements to have a relatively large curvature.

5. A'device including a ladys handbag comprising a bag body open at the top and having a one piece pliable bottom and side wall structure, the latter comprising side walls and. integral lateral extensions extending continuously along the ends of the bottom and side wall structure and forming gussets and being interconnected to form single individual upright seams along thelongitudinalcentral plane of the bag body, andre-enforcing stuffed tubular elements at each end of the bag body, each extending continuously around the bottom and along the ends of the side walls between the latter and the said extensions, said elements thus substantially surrounding the gussets, and said elements being continuously united to the bag body so as to appear as a part thereof and to shape otherwise highly pliable parts of the bag body, said seam being approximately midway between the portions of each element at the side walls and extending into relatively close proximity to the portion of each element at the bottom of the bag body, and means providing a transverse seam in each gusset at the lower end of each of said upright seams to cause the bottom portions of the tubular elements to have a relatively large curvature.

6. A lady's handbag comprising a bag body open at the top and having a one piece pliable bottom and side wall structure, the latter comprising side walls and integral lateral extensions extending continuously along the ends of the bottom and side wall structure and forming gussets and being interconnected by upright seams extending along the longitudinal central plane of the bag body, and reenforcing stufied tubular elements at each end of the bag body, each extending continuously around the bottom and along the ends of the side walls between the gussets and the bottom and side walls, and said elements being continuously united to the bagbody so as to appear as a part thereof and to shape otherwise highly pliable parts of the bag body, and means providing a transverse seam in each gusset, said transverse seams being at the upper edges of the bottom portions of thetubu- 'lar elements and saidupright seams terminating 

